A Fate Away
by Kaori Michiru
Summary: He stood frozen at the sight before his eyes. The look of longing and sadness in those emerald orbs caught his undivided attention. Yes, he decided. He wanted her. Three-shot.
1. Chapter 1: Obscure

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

This fic is beta-ed by Michlynx.

 **Chapter 1**

 _ **ob·scure**_

 _adjective_

not discovered or known about; uncertain.

* * *

It was snowing.

On that very balcony of the mansion, the exact place where they held an annual ball. He stood, frozen, at the beautiful sight before his eyes.

A pink-haired, petite girl was standing near the railing of the balcony, staring out at the nothingness. She was wearing a white dress with a hint of red laces and ribbons that complemented her look perfectly.

Her bubblegum hair swayed as the slightest of wind flew right past her. She didn't seem to mind whether pieces of snow could be seen stuck on her hair, or how cold the weather was for her to be outside without another layer of extra clothing.

What caught his very attention were her eyes.

They were huge green doe-like eyes, shining mostly in the darkness of winter. They weren't shimmering with happiness, no; it was the exact opposite.

They were glittering in cause of her soft tears.

It might had disturbed even himself of how could he find any beauty at the sight. He couldn't really explain why. However, that look of sadness and longing in her eyes were what stopped him in his tracks. They were what stopped his heartbeat, even for a second. It stopped, seeing how someone could look so beautiful even in her saddest of time.

At that moment, he decided. Yes, he would catch her heart.

* * *

 _A big, warm hand rose to touch her cheek._

" _Don't cry…"_

 _A voice, though weak, tried its best to gather the broken pieces of her heart._

"… _Sakura."_

She stood unmoving, her hands on the railing of the balcony. Her gaze was blank as she stared out at the dark sky and the lights of the village beneath it.

" _I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you."_

 _She touched the hand on her cheek with her own, her tears never stopping. Her blurry eyes remained focused on his face, never once letting him out of her sight._

" _No, don't go. Don't leave me all alone…"_

She clenched her hands together at the memory.

 _She hugged his hand with all the strength she could muster at that time. She knew, nothing could save him. Nothing could bring them back together._

" _I'm sorry, Sakura."_

 _She cried harder, breaking his heart just by watching her._

She remembered every inch of the memory. How she wished she could forget, but she didn't _want_ to. If she did, it would be an insult to his memory. Soft tears gathered to her eyes. What did they do to deserve such a fate? They had been doing fine before, so why now? Fresh tears slid down her cheeks.

A trace of blue, aurora-like mist sent her out of her trance. She blinked, following its tail. Where did it come from? The beautiful thing turned from blue to slight purple, circling her form as it went. It felt oddly warm. She found herself attracted to it immediately. Her emerald orbs danced within the light, her body twirling around to follow it. She wiped her tears, staring at the newly-found warmth intently.

 _Beautiful._

She touched the blue-purple light that was floating right before her with her forefinger slowly, as if afraid to make it disappear. It floated easily around her, as if urging her to chase it. She made another circling move to follow it, and without realizing it, she had danced along with the light. She laughed softly. Suddenly, it moved away from her form, making her retract her hand to stare at it again.

Not before long, it formed a shape similar to that of a bird.

"A hawk…?"

A burst of light made her eyes shut closed for a few good seconds, before opening them again. When she did, all the lights disappeared and they left only a _real_ single bird with beautiful blue-purple feathers. It was indeed a hawk.

"Garuda."

She turned her head at the voice, surprised that she had company. She took a step back unconsciously. The beautiful bird seemed to have recognized its owner, because it quickly flapped his wings and landed on the extended hand of its master.

Her eyes widened at the man standing not too far from her. He looked somewhat similar, with the spiky dark-blue hair and his piercing onyx gaze. Her heart clenched at the sight. No, she could tell that this man wasn't him. Though similar, he gave off a very different aura around him. How could she have mistaken him with someone else entirely?

"…What?"

It was the first time he had heard of her voice, and he quickly found that he liked it. Her voice was somewhat soft-pitched and pleasant to the ear; even better than what he had imagined. He chuckled lightly at her response, eyes twinkling with amusement.

"His name is Garuda."

The deep, masculine voice that belonged to him sent shivers down her spine. She nodded immediately in response. "He's really pretty."

"So are you." She quickly blushed at his words. Was he trying to flirt on her?

She brushed off her disturbing thought immediately and replied with a smile, "Thank you, kind Sir."

He almost smirked at her polite tone. _Interesting._ "Call me Sasuke."

He extended his hand. She stared at it for a while, as if in a trance. His voice broke her out of her reverie, "May I ask for your name?"

She lifted her hand and shook his lightly, a smile adorned her pretty face. "I'm Sakura. A pleasure to meet you."

 _Sakura._

Her name fitted her perfectly. He should have guessed. Judging by his expression, he seemed to be satisfied to have acquired her name. "The pleasure is mine."

He kept staring at her with interest in his eyes that she felt very flustered at the moment. She then decided to lift her gaze back to the hawk, Garuda. "May I touch it?"

"Of course."

She touched the bird's back with such soft touches, as if it would break under her touch. He noticed this, but didn't say anything. If anything, it only pulled his interest of her even more. How she seemed to have a soft, sweet aura around her and everything she did seemed to have been committed into memory under his heated gaze.

The moment, however, was ruined when a midnight bell echoed within the whole mansion.

She pulled her hand from the bird and took a good step back to keep the boundaries. She bowed, and smiled at him. He couldn't do anything but stare at her. She was indeed the most beautiful girl he had ever seen; how she smiled, how she carried herself, and how very well-mannered she was. He was even more convinced of his choice. He wanted her.

"Thank you, Sasuke." Her voice was music to his ears, making him almost lost focus on what she was saying. Almost. "I was actually feeling down before you came, but you cheered me up." The hawk, as if understanding what she was saying, gave off a sound to remind her of its presence. She gave another soft pat on Garuda's back and laughed softly. "Thank you, Garuda."

With another bow, she turned on her heels, feeling the conversation was over when he wasn't the slightest bit responding. It didn't bother her; she knew he was more of a person who speaks when necessary.

That was exactly why she didn't expect a hand that grabbed her wrist and turned her around to meet a hard chest, and a pair of lips that touched hers gently.

Her eyes widened. What was going on? Her mind went blank. Just before she could do anything to react, he pulled back. He laid his forehead on hers, staring into her emerald orbs deeply as she did his.

"I can make you happier than this, Sakura. Let me court you."

Emerald orbs turned wide at his sudden proposal.

* * *

She fell onto the soft mattress of her bedroom. A mess of pink hair was made on the bed as she just lay there, staring at the ceiling of her room. What had just happened? It was like a blur of events; she couldn't catch up at all. Absentmindedly, she touched her lips with her fingers. She couldn't get him out of her head.

That pair of warm lips that touched hers.

That beautiful, onyx orbs that stared so deeply into her.

" _I can make you happier than this, Sakura. Let me court you."_

The sudden proposal from a man she had just met.

She sighed. For some reason, the evening had drained her energy more than usual. Perhaps it was the fact that it had been so long since she attended certain balls, or it was because of her heart that couldn't stop beating. She had to put her bet on the latter. Closing her eyes, she tried to understand his words; to understand _him_.

" _What did you say…?"_

 _His voice never faltered as he said, "You heard me. Let me court you."_

 _In a flash second, she felt guilty. She didn't deserve to be with someone else. She wasn't ready, not after all that had happened._

 _She lowered her gaze to her lap, trying to figure out words to reject his proposal. Even though they had just met, she had this hunch that he was indeed a very kind person. She had felt bad for rejecting him, but it was for his sake as well._

"… _I'm sorry." She shut her eyes closed. "I can't forget."_

 _He immediately understood the situation. So she had a bad experience regarding relationships; that's why she was hesitant to give him a chance, much less accept him. Well, he was too eager on her too, he realized._

" _Is it a painful one?"_

 _His tone of voice didn't signal his anger or disappointment. Rather, it seemed that he understood her feelings. She opened her eyes slowly, revealing the emerald orbs that he had loved ever since he had seen her._

" _Yes."_

 _Her tone of voice and expression showed him how greatly in love, and how she suffered hardships for this person. He couldn't help but wonder just who was this man who had hurt her, brought her into this painful state?_

 _He sighed. He was going to have to be patient. Well, no matter. This wasn't going to make him any less in obtaining everything about her. He was going to give her all of him, if he had wanted for all of her._

" _I can make you forget."_

 _She furrowed her eyebrows to his words and said, "No, you can't. I tried, I really tried but I couldn't forget."_

 _He used his forefinger to lift her chin so that he could stare at her mesmerizing orbs once more._

" _I can. It is my gift."_

 _Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me…"_

 _He nodded._

" _I can make you forget, if you'd let me."_

It was the hardest choice in her life. Keep it and suffer from it forever, or let go and move on. Fate had been kind at her, for giving her a second chance. Out of all the people in the world, she had met with another like his kind. One that could take the burden of others. One that could take others' memories.

It was a gift from God.

Humans were supposed to trust in each other ever since the beginning of time. They were meant to coexist with one another, depend on one another. To complement their existence, each was given a gift; an ability unlike the other. That was how they would learn to have faith; a light of hope.

That was his gift. A gift that could save her, from all of this pain. All that she had to do was say yes.

 _His eyes bore themselves into hers, searching for an answer._

" _Let me help you, Sakura."_

 _He saw her feelings through the windows of her soul. She was beyond confused of what to do, what decision for her to take. He knew he was forcing his way on her, but he was an Uchiha. He would get what he wanted, no matter how hard it is. When he had spotted her, he knew she was different. There was something about her that took his whole being on, and his mind and soul would just get more curious and curious._

 _Perhaps it was the pain in her eyes, or the look of longing that lingered deep inside her soul. He could feel it; how strong her feelings were once it was casted out. He wanted every little thing about her. He wanted her smile, her pain, her laughter, and her suffering. He wanted everything. He would do_ everything _for her._

 _She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Whatever decision she chose, it would change her inevitably._

Sakura.

 _She heard his voice._

More than anything else, I want you…

 _Surprised, her eyes flashed open, showing clear emerald._

…to be happy.

 _She smiled at herself. Finally coming up with an answer, her eyes were hard, as if certain of her decision._

" _Yes."_

 _His eyes danced warmly and his whole being was filled with pride at her approval._

* * *

 _Sakura, love,_

 _let me help you forget_

 _._

 _._

 _I can make you happy,_

 _if you'd let me_

 _._

 _._

 _Let me court you._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 **Yes.**

* * *

 _A big, warm hand rose to touch her cheek._

" _Don't cry…"_

 _A voice, though weak, tried its best to gather the broken pieces of her heart._

"… _Sakura."_

" _I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you."_

 _She touched the hand on her cheek with her own, her tears never stopping. Her blurry eyes remained focused on his face, committing him to her memory forever._

" _No, don't go. Don't leave me all alone…"_

 _She hugged his hand with all the strength she could muster at that time. She knew, nothing could save him. Nothing could bring them back together._

" _I'm sorry, Sakura."_

 _She cried harder, breaking his heart just by watching her._

" _Don't cry. It is my choice."_

 _He stared at her form. He had almost regretted his action, for foolishly dying like this. Now, she would be forever broken, all because of his failure._

" _Why did you do it? There's no need for you to sacrifice yourself! So why…"_

" _I have been given this gift. Therefore, I want to try the best I could… I wish to hold the burdens of human beings, but it seems…" He coughed. "I failed."_

 _She could see it. His blood; it's everywhere. She desperately clutched onto his form, afraid of letting him go. She screamed, "No, don't go. No! Please, don't—"_

 _He grabbed her waist with his remaining strength, pulling her onto his form. She was as warm as ever. Her presence was always calming, whether she realized it herself or not. He closed his eyes, inhaling her scent. Well, he did choose this painful path. He had to; he couldn't bear seeing his innocent comrades' death._

 _So he brought their death upon himself._

" _Sakura, this is my fate. But yours… is different. You have a very wonderful gift."_

 _She sobbed into his chest, trying to understand what he was saying. "My gift… What do you mean? I don't have a gift."_

 _It was true. All this time, she was unaware of the hidden gift within herself. He had watched her ever since she was small. She was different; that he no longer doubt. Her gift would mature along her age, unlike the others. She would obtain it when she had realized it herself; when she understood pain._

" _Your gift is a happy one, Sakura. In time, you will learn." He coughed blood, again._

 _He closed his eyes tiredly, knowing of his own appointed time. It would seem that this would be the last memory he had of her. He tried to not cry, at least not in front of her. It would break her resolve of letting him go, even worse than before. She look at him with fear in her eyes; fear of his death._

" _Good bye, my love."_

 _She tried to break from his hold and look him in the eye, tell him to stay. But he remained his strong grip onto her form, as if calming her._

" _No._ _ **No!**_ _"_

 _He kissed the top of her head softly._

" _I love you, Sakura."_

 _His hands that kept his grip on her waist went limp, signaling that he was no longer there. Her eyes darkened in horror. A tear went down her cheek, and she screamed._

" _ **Itachi!"**_

I love you.

* * *

[2016/06/08]

First fic. What do you think?

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2: Obliviate

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

This fic is beta-ed by Michlynx.

 **Chapter 2**

 ** _Obliviate_**

 _verb_

To forget; to wipe from existence.

* * *

 _Panting harshly, she ran as fast as her legs could bring her. Her vision was almost a blur as the dim street lights showed her another path of the alley. She stopped, panting and taking deep breaths, not sure as to where to go from here on._

 _A sound of footsteps came from the direction behind her. Shivers went down her spine as fear controlled her senses. Her heartbeat was pounding even faster than before. Whichever way it was, it didn't matter. She had to keep running. She had to run away, get herself out of here._

 _She hurriedly chose the path to her right and started running again. Her bare feet that touched the pavement of the streets felt so sore to the point of painful, but she ignored it. Because of the dim lights, she couldn't spot a small rock that made her trip soundly onto the cold pavement._

 _"_ _Ah!" She whimpered. It hurt. Her whole body felt like it was burning._

 _Heavy steps soon came and shadowed her fallen figure, making her shiver once again. Who was there? What was going to happen to her if she was caught? Was she going to die? What did she do wrong to deserve this? Irregular thoughts were in havoc inside her mind when a voice, a call of her name, interrupted her._

 _"_ _Sakura."_

 _She turned her head slowly at the male's deep voice. Her eyes widened just when she realized the owner of the voice. She whimpered in relief, "Itachi…?"_

 _The said man suddenly collapsed onto his knees, as if losing all of his strength. She gasped when she saw blood oozing out of his entire body; from his head, his neck, his arm, his stomach. Everywhere._

 _She rose to her feet immediately and ran to his side. Holding his shoulders, she kneeled in front of him in hope to aid his injuries._

 _"_ _Itachi—"She started._

 _His hand grabbed hers in a flash second, making her turn to look at his face in surprise._

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Sakura."_

 _Her eyebrows furrowed. She didn't understand what he was saying. Why was he apologizing?_

 _"_ _What do you mean…? You didn't do anything wrong."_

 _She was taken by another surprise when he suddenly hissed, obviously in pain. He grabbed her hand for support and said, "Help, Sakura…" She furrowed her eyebrows in concern, "What's wrong, Itachi?" He no longer answered, for he seemed to be in far greater pain to do so. He started coughing, spurting more blood onto the stoned pavement._

 _She gasped. "Itachi, tell me— W-What should I do? What can I do to help?"_

 _Panicked, she could only hold onto his form as she watched in writhing in pain. She saw more and more blood surrounding their bodies. "No, no—"She screamed as the pool of blood touched her legs and bare feet. Blood. Red. Blood. She could see them everywhere. She cried, "No more, please—"_

" ** _Stop it!_** "

A scream and a rush of fear mixed with adrenaline forced her awake, sitting on her bed. She panted, eyes terrified of the remaining image of blood inside her head. She put her hands on her forehead and clutched her head, closing her eyes.

She cried, "No, don't touch me. Stop it, stop it, stop it—"

A door suddenly opened and a girl around her age with blonde hair quickly rushed inside. Her expression was beyond concerned as she approached the pink-haired girl on the bed. She grabbed her shoulders and shook her to break her out of it, "Sakura, what's wrong? Hey, it's alright. Wake up! It's just a dream, okay?"

The blonde-haired woman pulled her into an embrace in effort to calm her erratic mind. She panted, obviously still in the after-effect of the dream. Nevertheless, she nodded, tears falling off of her face. "The blood… Itachi— I couldn't help him. He called for help, but I couldn't—"

A soothing voice interrupted her. "Shush, now. It's okay, you're okay. It's just a bad dream, that's all."

The blonde-haired woman, Ino, patted her best friend's head to calm her down. Though, she couldn't help but furrow her eyebrows together. The nightmare thing had happened for the entire week, and Sakura was getting restless.

The dream had somehow evolved, as she would describe it. She could tell by the screams that Sakura made during the nightmare were getting worse each day. It would turn into higher-pitch tone hysterically, which made her incredibly worried.

Right now, the Haruno Mansion was occupied only by the heir and daughter, which was Sakura herself, her caretaker which was Ino, and the servants. Her father went to another city to attend another important assembly. As for her mother, she died ever since she was too small to remember.

Ino looked down at the delicate woman in her embrace. Her eyes were dull green, her hair was a mess, her complexion too pale to be considered healthy. If she looked at her like this, she was like a fragile doll. She noticed as minutes passed by, her breathing had turned in and out regularly. Putting on her best smile, she pulled back from the embrace and said,

"Now, why don't you go back to sleep? I will bring you your favorite dessert when you wake up, that I promise you! Just rest for now, alright?"

Sakura smiled at her caretaker and best friend. "Thank you, Ino."

Ino pulled the covers on her body to keep her warm as she watched the petite pink-haired woman close her eyes to go back to slumber. She sighed deeply, leaving the room quietly. She had to do something to stop Sakura's nightmares, before it could damage her mind further.

 _Lord Sasuke,_

 _Good evening, my Lord. I humbly request your presence here, at the Haruno Mansion, for Lady Sakura's sake. I'm afraid that her condition is failing her, and that sickness may befall her if this continues. Lord Haruno is currently out of the city and attending an important assembly. He still remains oblivious to this new matter. As her betrothed, you are the only person I could think of that would able to cure her broken mind, as of now._

 _Regards,_

 _Yamanaka Ino_

 _Lady Sakura's Caretaker_

* * *

She was staring at the ceiling. It had been hours since Ino left her room, and she couldn't go back to sleep. No, she knew she didn't _want_ to go sleep. If she did, it would haunt her again, the nightmares of Itachi's death.

She sighed. She felt so drained because of the lack of sleep lately. She hadn't gotten proper sleep recently, and that was becoming a real problem for her. Fear would run through her veins as soon as that nightmare reached her unconscious mind. She rubbed her hands against her arms unconsciously, hoping to wash the feeling away.

Sasuke.

Her mind would often wander to the dark-haired man now and then, she realized. When she drifted off into space, he would be all she thought about these days. Perhaps it was because she was falling, and she was falling quickly.

He had proven to be a real gentleman after his promise and proposal. He had showed her patience, and that proved to be something to her. He would wait for her, even though she knew, judging by the look in his eyes that he _desired_ her.

She turned to her side, feeling a little warm after thinking about him. He was a five-hour ride away from here, yet her feelings didn't falter. He felt so close; his warmth, his voice, his eyes. They had been writing letters ever since their first encounter. And of course, their respected families were also aware of their ongoing relationship; it just hadn't been made public yet.

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Sakura."_

Her eyes widened at the sudden flashback. Itachi. No matter what she did, it would seem his death would haunt her forever. Recently, those memories came flooding through her mind more often than ever. However now, every time he had crossed her mind, she would feel this new feeling that had been born.

It was guilt.

Guilt for not being able to save him. Guilt for being so useless when he needed her most. But above all—

Guilt for loving someone else.

She knew she at least deserved to be with Sasuke. Itachi had made it clear for her to be happy. However, deep down, she felt as if she didn't want to forget just yet. She wasn't prepared for the loss, not yet.

As time passed, she was learning of letting go. Little by little; she would accept his death. That was why she and Sasuke made an arrangement: he would erase her memories whenever she was ready.

A new beginning. That was what he had promised her.

Suddenly, there was a knock on her balcony door. She jumped slightly in response. She turned her head towards the door, asking herself who it might be at this late hour. She pushed the covers away from her body and slid her legs off bed. Cautiously, she pushed the curtains of the glass window of her balcony away. She gasped at the intruder.

It was him. Sasuke was here.

She quickly slid the door open, jumping into his arms almost immediately after. "Sasuke."

For a second, Sasuke had this bewildered look on his face. He didn't expect her to be so _affectionately welcoming_ at his sudden visit. Onyx orbs warmed at the sight of her.

She must have been lonely and scared, for her to able to act this way. Sakura was a composed person; she was the daughter of the Haruno Clan Leader, after all. Even though they were betrothed, she would never act based only on her feelings and jump at him at public. As he would always did likewise.

Beside the point, she was too shy of a person to suddenly pull him into an embrace like that.

However, he couldn't help but took note of her condition at that time. Her face was really pale and her eyes were red as if she had been crying throughout the night. There were dark circles visible under her eyes, and she was thinner than the last time he saw her. He tried not to frown and smiled towards his beloved.

"Hello, Sakura."

She pulled away from his warm grasp and looked into his eyes. Emerald orbs were twinkling at the sight of him. It calmed her whole being, for him to be here. She was grateful that he was here, but why did he suddenly come?

"What are you doing here? Wait, how did you get into the balcony?"

He chuckled slightly. And she only realized this now? He tucked a strand of pink hair behind her ear gently, smirking at her.

"If it is not too obvious already, Sakura, I came for you."

She furrowed her eyebrows and puffed her cheeks. That didn't answer her question. "But, why all of a sudden?"

His eyes turned almost serious as he spoke, "I have to offer my personal gratitude towards your caretaker, Ino. She told me of your current condition." Then those onyx orbs that she adored so much filled with those of concern. His grip on her waist tightened slightly. "Are you alright? Why didn't you tell me you have been experiencing nightmares, in the letters?"

She smiled sadly at him. "I'm okay. Besides, I don't want to worry you, much less be a burden to you."

His eyebrows furrowed, caressing her cheek with his fingers so gently she felt she could melt. "What are you talking about? If anything, rely on me more."

She couldn't describe how she felt right now. How lucky she was to have him by her side, and what did she do to deserve such a person? She had been ungrateful to everything she had until now, even with Itachi's death that blinded all of her resolve. Yet, he was here.

He was there for her.

"Thank you, Sasuke." She leaned her face towards his fingers, holding his hand in hers. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

He gave off a rare smile at her words and action, and then leaned to put his chin on top of her head. She felt so right in his arms like this. Inhaling, he took in her scent, strawberry milk. His favorite. Taking another deep breath, he decided to take his chance.

"Do you want me to take your memories now?"

He felt her tense for a split second but soon she relaxed. After a few seconds, she pulled back and said, "No, not yet. I had a feeling; it isn't yet the time."

He couldn't help but ask again, "Are you sure?" _These memories are hurting you._

She smiled at him softly, as if to assure him. "Yes. I—"

She stopped mid-sentence when both of them heard the sound of the guards' steps coming closer beneath her balcony. They froze.

"Lady Sakura, is that you?" A stern voice called out to her.

She bit her lip, a habit she would usually do when she was nervous. She motioned for him to wait there, in front of the glass door. Fortunately, her balcony was quite wide so that the guards couldn't see him when he was standing there.

She approached the railing and leaned forward, saying, "Yes, it is me. Is something the matter, General?"

The guards bowed at her presence, before the head of the guards, the General, spoke in a clear voice, "We heard a male's voice coming from your balcony. Are you alright, Sakura-sama?"

She was glad her voice remained composed as she replied, "I'm perfectly fine. I was just getting some fresh air, alone. Perhaps you misheard?"

He bowed his head. "That must be the case. Our apologies for disturbing your peaceful evening, Milady."

She gave them a smile before saying, "It is not a problem at all. Good evening, gentlemen."

"Good evening, Sakura-sama."

* * *

Once inside her bedroom, she closed the glass door of her balcony and shut the curtains close. Leaning on the glass for a while, she sighed in relief.

"That was really close. Can you imagine Father's face when he found out his daughter's betrothed sneaked into her balcony late at night?"

He smirked. "That point aside, I didn't know a beautiful girl like you is capable of lying."

She gave him a playful look. "Proof enough that you don't know anything about me, _kind Sir_." She purposefully avoided calling him his name, just like that first night they met each other.

She felt almost like a mouse caught in a trap when he looked at her with an amusement glint in his eyes. He walked slowly towards her direction. Two could play at this game.

"Shall I get to know you more then, young lady?" He trapped her body between his and the glass window, his hands beside her head. He whispered in her ear, "But we're going to do this _my_ way."

Her heart pounded so fast inside her ribcage that it felt like it's going to burst anytime soon. Without realizing it, she already held her breath as his face got so dangerously close towards her ear and jaw. She bit her lip softly.

A shiver went down her spine when he purposefully let a warm breath on her cheek, and her cheeks burnt bright pink. She felt his lips trailing a light path towards her lips, and then pulled back slightly when he reached the edge of her soft lips. He was leaning in onto her form even more, crushing her body with his and just as his lips were about to touch hers—

He stopped.

Instead, he moved upwards and kissed her nose.

She opened her eyes in surprise, expecting him to kiss her on the lips. He smirked smugly at her, knowing what effect he had on her. She blushed redder, if possible. He was teasing her!

"Disappointed, my lady?"

She avoided eye contact, flustered. "N-No, I'm not."

His hands that were beside her head suddenly moved towards her waist and tickled her. She gasped and laughed after, not being able to take the tickles.

"Sasuke, stop it—"She laughed. "Hey, that tickles! Haha, stop—"She was struggling within his arms so hard that they both tripped at the tangle between their feet. Landing on the soft carpet of her bedroom, they both stopped moving when they realized the position they were in.

She was lying on top of him, her hands on his chest. He had instinctively protected her from the small fall, both hands on her waist to keep her close to him. They stared at each other's eyes. The intensity of the two pairs of orbs that clashed within one another was strong. From them, both of them could tell of one thing for sure.

They were deeply in love with one another.

There was no doubt about it anymore. They were falling and falling, deeper into the wild vortex.

* * *

She stared at the glass window from her bed. The sun rose already, and Sasuke left a few moments ago. They had been too caught up in the moment that they hadn't realized it was morning already and if he didn't take his leave soon, they'd both be found out for sure.

Walking around her room, she went to her desk and opened the top drawer. Inside, she put in all the letters from Sasuke. They were arranged into a neat order. Taking the first letter she had received from him, she opened it and began rereading again.

 _My beautiful lady,_

 _How have you been? I hope you're in the best of health. I have to formerly apologize for the late letter, but I fulfilled my promise nevertheless. My clan has been busy with conflicts going on within the outer circle of the city, so I'm afraid I cannot write too long. But rest assured, I have arranged our next meeting during the times when I did not have to attend a clan gathering._

 _February 14._

 _Land of Fire, Gracidea Garden._

 _I shall see you soon, Sakura._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Sasuke._

She remembered their first arranged meeting at that flower garden. She had thought he had brought his whole army just to escort her. Though, it had been almost magical, almost surreal. They spent their alone time staring at the brightness of the full moon, surrounded by the enchanting floral scent that covered their senses.

She closed the letter and stared at its gold engraving, a smile plastered on her face. He would always choose elegant gold, she concluded. She wasn't complaining; it seemed just like him, the way he brought himself with elegance and charm.

She turned the letter around idly. Her eyes widened at the symbol in the middle of the gold engraving. It was an uchiwa fan. The top half of the fan was painted red, and the other half white. She knew the symbol too well to have mistaken it.

 _The Uchiha._

She put her hand on her mouth and gasped.

No, it couldn't be. All of this time, she had been ignorant of which clan Sasuke belonged to. All she knew was that he was the clan heir, exactly like she was. She didn't ask which clan he was from, or even his surname. No, she didn't expect him to be an Uchiha, even for the slightest bit.

She knew now why he looked so similar to Itachi. She had taken the first glance at him, on that winter night, and noticed their similarity. On that night, she had hurriedly brushed off every thought about Itachi that she didn't have the guts to just _think_. Why didn't she realize…?

She took a deep breath, calming herself. She just needed some fresh air. Yes, that would be it.

Opening her wardrobe, she chose a pair of chocolate trousers and a white shirt. Discarding her previous clothes, she wore them and put on a coat and a country hat to conceal her identity. She got out of her room after putting on boots and grabbing her bag.

She ignored the maids that were trying to stop her from going out, but she stopped when Ino, her best friend came into view. She had a surprised look on her face, seeing her friend all dressed up. "Sakura? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to get some fresh air." She smiled half-heartedly. "I won't be long."

Before her best friend could respond, she went through the main door and exited the mansion. As she walked through towards the gate, there were many guards that also had a worried look on their faces.

She kept the urge to sigh out loud. What was she, a child?

One of the men bowed in front of her and said, "Lady Sakura, may I ask where you are going off to so early in the morning?"

She let out a breath and said, "To town. I'm talking a little walk."

He quickly offered, "Shall I take you there? The carriage shall be ready in no time—"

She lifted a hand, gesturing her refusal at the idea. "There's no need. I will be fine by myself, thank you."

"But—"

She quickly went through the gates with the guards' hesitant approval. She walked towards the direction of town, her mind drifting off.

* * *

It was twirling into thoughts she couldn't grab onto, and she couldn't understand her current feelings. It felt as if there were a clutch on her heart; a grip so painful that it would make her heart beat _not_ so normally. Was this guilt, for falling for Itachi's sibling? Or was it fear, of losing Sasuke the same way?

Whereas she didn't want to doubt her love for Sasuke, she was starting to. Did she fall for him because of his appearance? Did she fall for him because he looked _almost exactly_ like Itachi? Was it fate? If it was, why was fate so—?

Her hands turned into grips. Why was fate so complicated on her?

She walked amongst the crowd of man, woman, and children; villagers of the small town at the second circle of the city. She saw everyone's expressions at that moment. There were anger, desperation, laughter, and sorrow. Every person in this world was capable of having feelings, just like her. Some would experience happiness, while the others wouldn't.

This was how the world works. A trick of fate, if you would call it.

Fate.

Just as she thought that, she heard the voice of a woman screaming at her direction; pulling a stop to her thoughts. It was a warning, as it may.

"Look out!"

She turned her head in a split second and saw a carriage was going towards her direction with its steed on full speed. She knew, it was too late to move out of its way. Her eyes widened and all she remembered was that of darkness had engulfed her whole being.

* * *

 _._

 _The Dark Void,_

is inescapable.

.

.

Impossible to avoid,

and nothing is plausible.

.

.

.

It was dark.

Where was she?

She could feel her body numb. Her head felt like it wanted to burst. She tried to move her fingers, but they were so heavy. What had happened? All that she could hear was the beating of her steady heart. Did that mean she was still alive?

"Sakura."

A voice. She recognized that voice.

"Can you hear me, Sakura?"

 _Sasuke._

She tried reaching out to him, but her body wouldn't move. Was she dead, after all? No, she didn't want to die; not yet, at least not this way.

She felt Sasuke grip her hand in his hold. "I'm sorry."

Those words—

 _"_ _I'm sorry, Sakura."_

—were exactly like Itachi's.

Why was he apologizing? Was he going to leave her side, just as Itachi did? She struggled in her mental state, trying to do something, _anything_. Move limbs, move! She couldn't take another heartache, not again.

"I'm going to take away your memories now."

…What?

She could hear the certainty in his voice. "I won't let you get hurt anymore." He had come to a decision.

So that was why he was apologizing. He had promised to wait for her until she was ready to let go of Itachi, but it seemed his resolve was destroyed when he saw her got into an accident. She had never thought about his position. He must have been worried for her.

She knew, for she had been put in the same position.

The difference was that she was absolutely hopeless and alone at that time. Whereas he still had hope. She would recover, and she would wake up; she would make sure of it. She would never leave his side, and she would begin anew. She understood the situation he was put in. He was going to do this for her sake. That alone was enough of a reason for her.

There wasn't anyone else in this world right now that she wanted more than him.

She was ready.

 _Itachi._ She thought. _Thank you for everything._

He kissed her forehead gently and pushed her eyelids open.

"Sharingan," he whispered.

Spinning red tomoes clashed with emerald.

 _._

 _..._ Yes,

 _._

 _._

 _this is farewell._

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _If fate allows it, let us meet again._

* * *

[2016/06/10]

Next chapter is the last one. Please review!


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